Role of angiotensin in ameliorating the renal actions of norepinephrine.

To determine the importance of the arterial pressure effects of angiotensin II (ANG II) on renal function during acute renal adrenergic stimulation, we examined the effects of a 2-h intrarenal arterial infusion of norepinephrine (NE) at 0.1 and 0.25 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 on renal function in five conscious dogs during 1) control conditions, 2) servo-control of renal arterial pressure (RAP) at control levels, and 3) chronic captopril administration. The low rate of NE infusion produced an approximately 20% decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF) and an approximately 8-mmHg increase in RAP in association with an approximately 2.5-fold rise in plasma renin activity (PRA). The high rate of NE infusion produced greater increments in both PRA and RAP and an approximately 50% reduction in GFR and RPF. Neither servo-control of RAP nor captopril administration significantly affected the above renal responses to the low rate of NE infusion. In marked contrast, when increases in RAP (approximately 20 mmHg) were prevented at the high rate of NE infusion by servo-control of RAP, both the PRA and renal responses were enhanced. Furthermore, when RAP was reduced (approximately 25 mmHg) as a result of chronically blocking the renin-angiotensin system with captopril, the renal responses to the high rate of NE infusion were exaggerated even further; in four of five dogs, total renal ischemia occurred in response to NE. These results indicate that ANG II indirectly ameliorates the renal actions of renal adrenergic stimulation by increasing RAP.